Issue - meetings

No matters have been referred from Overview and  Scrutiny at the time of publication of the agenda.

The Leader invited Councillor Wright to report on the outcome of the Special Overview and Scrutiny meeting which had considered the recommendation of a ‘preferred bidder to secure the future of Hornsey Town Hall’ following the call-in of this decision.

The Leader set out the process for considering the Overview& Scrutiny recommendations and reconsidering the Key decision on Hornsey Town Hall. Cabinet would first consider the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, set out in the second pack of papers, at page 4, and Councillor Strickland would provide a verbal response to the recommendations.

Given that the Key decision was previously agreed following consideration of the exempt information at the October meeting, and response to the Scrutiny recommendations did not require further reference to the exempt part of the report, Cabinet agreed to reconsider the Key decision on a preferred bidder to secure the future of Hornsey Town Hall, as part of this item, in the open part of the meeting.

After Cllr Strickland’s response to the recommendations, Cabinet would also refer to the petition which was handed in from the Hornsey Town Hall Appreciation Society at the October Cabinet meeting and then move to reconsideration of the Key decision which was contained in the minutes, agenda item 6, at section 88, page 15 of the original pack. Cabinet noted that the original Cabinet report recommending the decision was attached from page 27 of the second pack of papers.

Councillor Wright, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, began presentation of his report and advised that the Overview and Scrutiny call -in meeting on the 8^th of November, had been a long and thorough session lasting 4 hours which had considered two call-in’s. The Committee had given full consideration to the decision on Hornsey Town Hall and received representations from: the Hornsey Town Hall Appreciation Society, the call-in lead signatories and received a petition from Cllr Engert. The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny was also grateful for the Cabinet Member’s attendance and officer participation in the meeting.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decision did not fall outside the budget and policy framework and the most appropriate course of action was to refer the decision back to Cabinet to allow for full and detailed consideration. The Committee had agreed ten recommendations which were contained at page 4 in the second pack of papers to be considered and responded to along with original key decision.

Councillor Wright continued to outline the ten recommendations which were mainly concentrated on:  safeguarding free access to the square, affordable housing, tailored support for the businesses which have to move, immediate community engagement and involvement, safeguarding the community Arts centre use through the lease, active continual monitoring  of the lease, and high standard of design and accessibility.

Councillor Strickland thanked Scrutiny colleagues for their examination of the decision. There was misinformation circulated about proposals, prior to the Cabinet meeting, so the call-in Scrutiny meeting had been helpful in exploring the detail of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112